Zimbabwe parties trade blame after mob rampage

HARARE, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Police have arrested more than a
dozen youths after a mob looted shops in Harare, and the two
main parties in Zimbabwe's uneasy unity government traded
accusations over who was to blame for a spate of violence.

Police said they had allowed youths from President Robert
Mugabe's ZANU-PF party to demonstrate against Harare city
council for awarding a car parking contract to a South African
firm but the protest had been infiltrated by criminals.

"We have arrested some known criminals from Mbare (a suburb)
and we are still investigating the group that infiltrated the
march," police spokesman James Sabawu told Reuters on Tuesday.

A Reuters witness saw shattered windows and empty shops
early on Tuesday. Most of the shops remained closed.

Members of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) have warned unity government partner and
rival Mugabe to drop plans for an early election, saying the
poll could lead to a bloodbath.
The state-owned Herald newspaper said those arrested in
Monday's incident were suspected MDC supporters and quoted
Defence Minister and Mugabe ally Emmerson Mnangagwa as blaming
Tsvangirai for the violence.
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